What’s New for the 91st Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

Get excited! Four balloons and five floats have been added this year.

The 91st Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will take to the streets of New York City on Thursday, Nov. 23 with four new character balloons and five new floats, according to a press release.

Olaf from Disney’s Frozen will be making his parade debut, alongside The Grinch from Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch, characters from PAW Patrol, and Jett from Super Wings. These helium balloons will join other recurring characters such as Charlie Brown, Hello Kitty, The Elf on the Shelf, and the Pillsbury Doughboy.

The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade always includes celebrity performances. This year spectators can expect to see Leslie Odom Jr. from Brodway’s Hamilton with the cast and Muppets of Sesame Street; Jimmy Fallon and The Roots; the Radio City Rockettes; musical group 98 Degrees; and Padma Lakshmi and Tom Colicchio from Bravo’s Top Chef, among others.

New floats for the 2017 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade include “Everyone’s Favorite Bake Shop” by Entenmann’s; “Harvest in the Valley” by Green Giant; “Parade Day Mischief” by Sour Patch Kids Candy; “Shimmer and Shine” by Nickelodeon; and “Universal Playground” by Sprout.

In total, there will be 17 giant character balloons; 28 legacy balloons, balloonicles, ballooheads, and trycaloons; 26 floats; 1,100 cheerleaders and dancers; more than 1,000 clowns; 12 marching bands from around the country; and six performance groups at the 2017 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade begins at 9am from 77th Street and Central Park West and continues to Columbus Circle, onto Central Park South, and along Sixth Avenue, ending at Macy’s Herald Square. It will also be broadcast nationally on NBC, during which it will be hosted by TODAY Show's Matt Lauer, Savannah Guthrie, and Al Roker. For more information, visit the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade website.

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Samantha Neudorf is the Engagement Editor at NYMetroParents. She currently resides in Astoria, Queens with her cat and holds a journalism degree from Hofstra University. You will most likely find her gallivanting around New York City or at brunch.
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